In the last days of the twenty-first century, sea creatures swim through the ruins of London. Trapped in the abyss, humankind wavers between fear and hope—fear of what lurks in the depths around them, and hope that they might one day find a way back to the surface.
When sixteen-year-old submersible racer Leyla McQueen is chosen to participate in the city’s prestigious annual marathon, she sees an opportunity to save her father, who has been arrested on false charges. The Prime Minister promises the champion whatever their heart desires. But the race takes an unexpected turn, forcing Leyla to make an impossible choice. Now she must brave unfathomable waters and defy a corrupt government determined to keep its secrets, all the while dealing with a guarded, hotheaded companion she never asked for in the first place. If Leyla fails to discover the truths at the heart of her world, or falls prey to her own fears, she risks capture—or worse. And her father will be lost to her forever.
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The year: 2099. The place: London. Only, this is a London completely unfamiliar to readers. After a devastating disaster 65 years ago, the entire world has been left under a thousand feet of water. All of surviving humanity has adjusted as well as possible, living inside air-tight homes, driving submarine vehicles, and hoping for the day they can return to the surface world. Enter 16-year-old Leyla McQueen, a British Muslim of Afghan descent desperately fighting to have her scientist father freed from a government prison. So when she wins a coveted spot in the London Submersible Marathon, the grand prize of which is the champion’s greatest desire, Leyla knows this is her best shot. But when the events of the race lead to an adventure greater than Leyla could ever have imagined, will she be prepared to do whatever it takes to see her father again? Shah’s debut is a fast-paced masterpiece from start to finish. Readers will fall in love with passionate, persistent Leyla as well as her secretive, swoon-worthy companion Ari. While the tropes of dystopian fiction—corrupt government, fear of the unknown—will be easily recognizable by fans of the genre, Shah has skillfully shaped a gorgeous world unlike any those fans have seen before. But be forewarned: the book ends on a jaw-dropping cliff-hanger, so a sequel is presumably forthcoming. An #OwnVoices title for fans of Rhoda Belleza, Amie Kaufman, and Roshani Chokshi. Highly recommended.